


Hat-trick

by Ingi



Category: She's the Man (2006)
Genre: Awesome Sebastian Hastings, Demiromantic Olivia Lennox, Developing Relationship, Everyone Loves Viola Hastings, Fluff, Fluid Sexuality, Multi, Open Relationships, Polyamory, Popular Viola Hastings, Queer Viola Hastings, Questioning Duke Orsino, Sebastian Hastings Has a Fluid Gender Presentation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-04
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2019-02-28 09:09:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13268259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ingi/pseuds/Ingi
Summary: They're the coolest people in Illyria.





	Hat-trick

**Author's Note:**

> When I saw this movie again for only the second time in years, I did _not_ expect this to happen. At all. But the muses want what the muses want, I guess!

Olivia doesn't visit her new boyfriend in his dorm.

It's quite simple, really. That's where the old Sebastian —it'd be more accurate to say the fake Sebastian, or _Viola_ , but Olivia just can't bring herself to do it— used to live, and a part of her still thinks she'll see him- _her_ there, and it's a punch to the gut every single time. She fell in love with who she thought was Sebastian and thought her affections would just shift to the real Sebastian instantly, as if that were what was meant to be all along, the world righting itself, because clearly that's how it works. Except it doesn't.

Sebastian Hastings is Olivia's boyfriend, but he's not Olivia's _Sebastian_. They are different people, and her stubborn heart keeps screaming _wrong one wrong one_ over her firm resolution that this Shakespearean story is over for good. The end. Curtains closed. For real this time.

Plus, there's also the issue of that one guy she went on a date with once and who is now dating her —old?— crush. But she doesn't try to kid herself and give that more importance than it really does, which is to say, almost not at all.

Awkwardness she can deal with, but this longing, this sense of _loss_ , she cannot.

The thing is, Olivia still talks with the old Sebastian, sometimes. With Viola. She textes her, and they bump into each other in the corridors, even if they never hang out anymore, not even in lab, because now Olivia is with her boyfriend there and she could never bear to meet Viola alone, she would _burst_. But Olivia still sees her, and she smiles and it's the very same smile that Olivia fell in love with —a smile her boyfriend does not have—, and she still can't look away.

Which is why, in the end, she dares to bring it up.

She spent a year lying to herself while she was dating Her Exboyfriend Who Shall Not Be Named Except In Curses, and she's not going to do that again. No way.

"Have you heard of Viola? Uhm, recently?"

Her boyfriend looks up from his guitar and blinks. They are in the soccer field because he insists that it has great acoustics, and that he's totally going to play in here one day soon as well so he'd better get used to the space. There's no practice now, so everything's quiet and empty, but that's not why Olivia feels like the world has just stopped.

"She's my sister, duh," he says. He tugs at a string and hums, pleased, then focuses back on her. "We keep tabs on each other and stuff. It's how this sibling thing works, Viv."

He started calling her Viv after he realized she would only ever call him Seb. She doesn't have the heart to tell him why that is.

"So?" she prompts him, desperate.

"Last I heard, she had threatened to sue her old coach for discrimination, and coach Dinklage was supporting her, so I think he's getting the girls into the team about _right now_." He raises his eyebrows at her. "But you knew that. Viola sent a mass text with a fuckton of emoji. What's up, Viv?"

"I think I like women," she blurts out. "Or- or at least, women that used to be Sebastian. Pretend to be Sebastian. You. Pretend to be-"

She knows she has shocked him because he puts the guitar down, by his side, and stares.

"So you want to bang my sister?"

"No!" Olivia yells, and then she covers her face with her hands and says, "Maybe. I'm _in love_ with your sister."

"So you don't like me?"

"I like you," she says, quietly. She makes sure to lower her hands so she can look into his eyes while she's saying so. "I don't love you, but-"

"Oh, same," he interrupts, unconcerned. "But that's fine. We're not like, super serious or whatever. I mean, we're dating, but if you want to date my sister too, that's super cool by me. That's way better than dating a clingy chick. Or Terri."

"Wha- Terri?"

"My ex. You knew her name isn't actually Monique? She pretends it is because she thinks it sounds fancier." A snort, an incredulous shake of head. "Man, that Terri. Dodged a bullet with that one, and then I even got you in the deal, too. I really should thank my sister for that, but- huh, nevermind, if you're gonna bang her, she can consider herself well thanked."

And then he picks up his guitar again, settles it on his lap, and strums a few chords.

 

 

 

Olivia catches up with her after lab.

Duke is there too —she was planning to make him leave, but this kind of concerns him too—, but he's also not there, because nothing but Viola matters.

"So I was thinking-" she starts, not knowing where's she's going with it, but Viola cuts her off.

"That you want to talk about relationships?" she says, still walking —she's short, but boy, if she doesn't make up for it by practically sprinting—, making Olivia _and_ Duke follow after her. "Yeah, Sebastian said."

"Oh. Well-"

"Are you going to break up with him?" Viola goes on. "Please don't break up with him. You're the first girl who is not a total harpy he has gone out with in ages."

"I'm not breaking up with him. I-"

"Oh, god, thank you. I was already-"

"Let the girl talk, man," Duke says, elbowing Viola in the ribs. She gives him the stink eye, a smile curling the corners of her lips anyway, and they both stop and turn to her. "Uh, go on?" Duke suggests, smiling awkwardly.

Olivia lets the rest of the class walk past before she speaks.

"Seb suggested that I date you too," she tells Viola. It's supposed to be like pulling off a bandaid, but in fact, it's more like pulling your own teeth real quick. "Because I- miss you. Miss Sebastian. Miss y-"

"Okay, we've got it!" Duke yells, red up to his ears.

Viola looks absolutely flabbergasted for about a moment. But being Viola, she gets over it fast enough, and shifts to her _get shit done_ mode. Olivia knows that mode, if mostly from lab. It always leads to great —terrifying, impossible, _fun_ — things.

"Can I speak frankly?" Viola starts, pensive.

"Don't you always, babe?" Dude snorts, and Viola smacks his arm.

"Rude. But true." She hesitates, places a hand on Olivia's shoulder. "You're a cool girl. Really. And you're really sweet, and really beautiful, and-"

"Oh my god," Olivia laughs, a little histerical, and takes a step back. "Are you breaking up with me?"

"We're not even dating yet!" Viola says, indignant. Yet. _Yet_ , is the word she's used. "All I'm saying is, now that we're not competing for this dude," she pushes Duke a little, grinning, "I can admit that you're pretty awesome. And that I was being kind of a bitch to you, and a total nutter, and basically everything I hate in those girls at my mom's ladies societies. And I'd love to be friends, I was _trying_ to be your friend!" She grabs Olivia's wrist this time, grimaces. "But honestly- Damn, now that you've mentioned it, I think it wouldn't- it wouldn't be terrible to make out with a girl? Just a little? Or- I mean, if that girl is you, at least, because you look at me like-"

"Like I want to jump you and then get a white picket fence house with you?" Olivia suggests, more than slightly bitter at how obvious she's been.

"I was gonna say, like I hung the moon, but okay! That works too."

"Uh, I guess that makes sense," Duke suddenly says, and blushes harder when they both stare. "I mean- Viola, you did fight against your brother's exgirlfriend to defend her and all."

"Oh, that?" she snorts. "I'd wreck Monique just for _fun_. No excuses needed."

"Wow, _thanks_ ," Olivia huffs, but she can feel herself starting to smile, and Viola's grip on her wrist gets tighter and gentler at the same time.

"So, Duke," Viola says, wriggling her eyebrows in her boyfriend's direction, "what'd you think?"

Duke looks at her, looks at Olivia, and then stares at his feet for about half a minute before he faces Viola again.

"Not to be the stereotypical guy, but- uh-"

"Spit it out."

"That'd be _hot as fuck_."

 

 

 

It's been only a week of their arrangement before Olivia reconsiders.

Not the Seb part, of course, or the Viola part. Those are working _seamlessly_. But rather, it doesn't sit well with her to have such a perfectly good, perfectly hot jock hanging around and dating her girlfriend without involving him in things.

And yes, it didn't work the first time they tried, but then again, Olivia really wasn't interested at all back then and she'd be confident in affirming that neither was him, actually, whether he knew it or not. And she just _knows_ that everything's going to work so much better with Viola in the middle.

Duke is handsome, and he's sweet, and she could have totally seen herself marrying him just a month ago, if she had ever bothered to think about it. They could have been this middle-aged couple with a dead marriage inmune to counseling that desperately needs a unicorn —she's been doing her reading, alright— to bring some of the old flame back, and even after they are settled back into comfortable happiness, still feel like they have wasted half of their lives.

She could have had that life. But now she doesn't need to, because this is one thing she's not imitating her mother on. No, she gets the happy ending without the boring, sad interlude. She gets the wild scrubby musician, the hot soccer player, and the jock with the six-pack.

She gets everything.

"So I was wondering," she says, leaning against the door of her boyfriend's dorm —she spends half of her time there, now— in her most seductive sprawl, "would you be interested in dating me as well?"

The soccer ball bounces harmlessly off Duke's head and to the floor, Duke remaining still and startled into silence.

"Uhm- what?" he finally says. "I mean- Sure, I- Sure, we could-"

"Viola said yes already," Olivia adds, walking over. She sits right next to him on his bed, grinning. "Seb doesn't mind. And I want to try."

"I- It's- it's kind of fate, I guess?" he stammers, seems to steer himself. "I mean- have you noticed how, if you turn the letters for _Olivia_ around, they make _Viola_?"

Olivia stares at him blankly.

"You're getting Viol- _i_ -a. Too many ais."

He squirms under her gaze and sighs, placing his hands awkwardly on his knees.

"Damn, I think you're right."

"Do you wanna make out now?" Olivia asks, kindly, and his expression immediately clears in relief.

"Yes, please."

 

 

 

Duke is laying on his bed with one of his totally awesome girlfriends on top of him, brown hair splayed all over his shoulder and still slightly wet from her shower. And she doesn't use _girly_ shampoos or whatever —she stated she did like most of the scents but then started going on about something called Pink Tax, which Duke isn't sure he understands—, but she smells good anyway, not fruity or sweet, just _clean_.

And yet he can't stop thinking about that other thing.

"I can practically hear your cogs whirling," Viola says, even while she keeps texting someone on her phone. "It's been happening a lot lately. I'm gonna start worrying, you know."

"I was just-" Duke tries, and then falls silent. He's not going to lie to Viola. He's not even going to _try_. "When you were a dude-"

" _Pretending_ to be a dude, thank you very much," she says, and grabs one of his hands to put them on her breasts. Man, he _loves_ her. "These babies didn't just disappear. And it's not like you need boobs to be a woman- but these are attached to me and I'm a woman, so they're officially girl boobs. So yeah. Not a dude, thanks."

"Okay," Duke replies, blinking. "Huh, right. But I thought you were a dude, and I still had a crush on you, I think? Kinda? I've been thinking and I'm pretty sure of it, anyway, I just didn't realize at the time because getting a crush on a dude is pretty fucking weird- I mean, not weird in _general_ , just weird to me because- uh, it'd never happened before? So this whole thing was kind of revealing."

Viola lifts her head from his chest to face him, phone clutched in her hand. She's making that face she does when she's about to be really, really kind and probably give awesome advice. Duke has _experience_ with that face. Useful experience.

"What are you trying to say, Duke?"

"I think your brother's hot," he blurts out. "Which is awkward, because I'm living with him now, and maybe it's only because I was living with _you_ before and I thought you were hot, only now I've realized I did, so-" Viola snaps her fingers, still looking kind —only impatient as well—, so Duke shuts his mouth and takes a deep breath before giving it another go. "Anyway. Would it be weird if I kinda- uh, dated your bro? I mean, sort of like you're dating his girl. There's- uh, precedent, so."

And Viola starts _laughing_.

"Oh my god," she wheezes, "I'm so hot that even as a guy, I got fucking _everyone_ to reevaluate their sexuality. I wonder if I could make that my yearbook quote somehow."

"So that's a yes?"

"Yeah, sure," she grins, and lays back on his chest. "I mean, this sure can't get any weirder. Just check with Olivia, I guess, but I doubt she'll mind. And I have no idea of what my brother is, but I do know he's too _Sebastian_ to be heterosexual, so. Good luck tapping that, but you're not gonna need it."

"Cool," Duke replies, too amazed for anything else.

"Cool."

 

 

 

The most awkward part should be, logically speaking, talking about it with Sebastian.

It's not.

"So let me make sure I've got this straight-" he says, only to laugh histerically at his own pun for about five minutes. "Right, lemme just- okay. So my sister's new boyfriend, who also happens to be _my_ roommate and my girlfriend's other boyfriend, wants to date me, because he fell in love with my sister's personality _and_ what he thought was my bad boy bod while she was pretending to be me to win a soccer game and stick it to her exboyfriend and excoach?"

"What's that got to do with anything?" Duke groans, flopping facedown on his bed.

"Not much, but dude, this situation is _wild_ ," Sebastian replies. "Just pointing that out. Anyway. Sure thing, dude."

"What?"

Duke lifts his head, startled, and Sebastian is in fact grinning at him.

" _Sure_ , dude. I'm cool with it."

"Do you just- fucking roll with _everything_?" Duke asks, incredulous.

"With most things, yeah, I guess."

If there had been any doubts at all of Sebastian and Viola's twinness- twinship —if those are even a words—, it's been well and truly cleared right at this moment. So Duke makes the split decision to keep following his gut instinct, because that usually works with Viola.

"And if I asked you to- like, wear a dress and heels while we're fucking." He swallows. "You know, just to make it fair. Your sister did wear your clothes for like, two weeks. And, honestly- uh, this whole hot dude actually being a hot girl thing has given me issues. Sexy issues. I don't really understand it myself, but-"

"Hell yeah, dude!"

"Uh-"

"I was the one wearing all the dresses when we were kids, you know," Sebastian comments, casual as fuck. "Viola wouldn't do it and I didn't mind. Dresses are pretty cool, and it's been a while. Never worn heels, though, but I bet you anything I look fucking _stunning_ in them."

Duke looks him up and down, imagines him in one of the outfits Viola will never wear. He gulps.

"Yeah."

 

 

 

They're the coolest people in Illyria.

And definitely the awesomest power couple- power threesome- power _whatever_ , even if most people still don't know who's dating who exactly. Everyone knows _them_. Everyone wants them. Everyone wants to be them. Everyone probably wants a homemade porn video of them as well, but well, too bad.

When they stride into the dining hall all together, Duke would swear that a few badass explotions going off behind them wouldn't look out of place.

But today it's just him and Viola, Sebastian and Olivia staying behind in lab to clean the result of their last experiment —turns out, lack of skill at science is heritable—, and that gives one of the dickheads from the basketball team enoug confidence to step on their way and shake his head, staring at Viola all the while.

"I'm officially taking away your cool dude card, Viola," he says. "Nothing personal, but- you earned that rep as a guy who could pick up girls like it was nothing. So obviously that doesn't apply anymore. But don't worry!" He grins. "You can still keep your hot badass girl card. Just- you're not one of the dudes anymore, okay? You understand, right? It wouldn't be fair."

 _Duke_ sure understands, but that doesn't mean he isn't outraged. She could totally pull both cards off.

And Viola, in fact, stays completely calm in the face of such a blatant attempt at usurp of power. Smiling, even. She raises a single eyebrow in the dickhead's direction —the Single Eyebrow of Doom—, turns her head, and zeroes in on Olivia, who is just walking through the door, looking like a fucking _queen_ even in the stained lab coat she's taking off, grimacing.

"Olivia!" Viola calls, all fake innocence.

Olivia blinks, focusing her grey-blue eyes on Viola. The dining hall seems to quiet down. And Viola gives her a wink, just one single charming wink, before walking up to her, and even as she goes grab her, Olivia is already holding her by the hips and the back to dip her, and they movie-kiss right there in the door of the dining hall, Viola's hair brushing the floor, Olivia's curled behind her ears so it doesn't hide the scene.

Someone starts clapping —Sebastian, who happens to be standing right behind them, waiting to be let through—, and then someone else, and in a little while half of the hall is clapping, and cheering, and whistling.

The kiss ends, the three of them walk back to Duke —who isn't ashamed to admit he has tears of pride in his eyes, because _they have all gotten so far_ —, and Viola gives the widest, smugest grin ever to the dickhead from the basketball team.

She's keeping both reps, no question about it.

Her humilliated minion scurries away, servilingly nodding to her every few steps.

Viola snorts and laces one arm with Olivia's and the other with Duke's. Sebastian holds onto Olivia's free side, because apparently heels are really pretty but really impractical to walk with, and he still hasn't got the hang of it, no matter how many tips Olivia gives him —he does look awesome in them, though, in and out of the bedroom—.

"Okay, that was fun," Olivia says, as they get to their table, "but we probably should make this whole dating thing clear at some point."

"I need a new Facebook cover photo," Sebastian replies, sliding into the bench. "The rocker dog meme isn't quite cutting it anymore."

Duke knows his moment has come. This is why he was given such long arms —not to play _basketball_ , thank you very much, dad—, this is why he has such an amazing quality phone. He whips it out and grins.

"Selfie time, guys?"

"You know it! So," Viola says, beaming, "cheese?"

And they all give their best smile to the camera, arms wrap around each other's shoulders, and yell, all at once,

" _Cheese_!"

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> From Wikipedia: _A hat-trick or hat trick in sports is the achievement of a positive feat three times in a game_.
> 
> EDIT: I've just been reminded of how the birth of this fic was due to my yelling at the movie, which pretty much went, "bUT VIOLA HAS TWO HANDS" (then it got complicated, of course, bcs it's me). Here, have a [meme](https://78.media.tumblr.com/c7572cf59282b7cc5989a7eacba6f315/tumblr_p9hqjjv8CV1usb2zho1_500.jpg) I've made to represent this fic's birth.


End file.
